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Wednesday, 18 May 2016

We passed by this Hanoi Cafe a few times and noticed that it was always crowded with people, as compared with few other neighbouring Vietnamese eateries. We trust there must be a reason for their good business and definitely worth for a try.

There is a barbecue pit set up in front of the eatery, mainly to prepare roasted meat. Perhaps this is one of the tactics to attract diners by spreading the fragrance of charcoal-grilled =) The appearance of the eatery plays an important part too, the signboard with the bright yellow wordings and the soft lighting in the eatery are very inviting and feel comfortable to dine in. The signature dishes are displayed on the wall of the eatery, so diners may easily identify the best dishes offered by them.

Beef Thin Kway Teow 牛肉河粉汤 RM12.50

We have not been to Vietnam before and this is also our first visit to Vietnamese eatery. We ordered the Beef Kuey Teow, a dish always been recommended by TV show to be a must in Vietnamese eateries. The taste is very unique and not familiar to me, so i assume that the owner has cooked it in accordance with the preference of Vietnamese. It is also praiseworthy that the eatery owner does not accommodate to the local flavour and enable us to have the authentic taste from Vietnam. As opposed to my first impression that the beef stock may be very oily, the soup turned out to be surprisingly clear and even more refreshing by squeezing some lime juice and the mint leaves that are available on every table. The beef are sliced thinly and not overcooked, hence not rubbery.

Pork Thick Bee Hoon 猪肉粗米粉汤 RM10.50

We ordered the pork bee hoon too. The soup base is totally different from the beef kuey teow. However, this version with the overly porky smell does not suit our taste.

There are abundant of condiments available on the table. I am not too sure if this is the eating style in Vietnam, but we were definitely pampered with choice.

Roasted Pork Bread Roll 烤肉面包 RM7.50

Some of the Vietnamese cuisine has also reflected the influence from America. The roasted bread roll is a good example, which has adopted the concept of hot dog bun, but the filling has been replaced by roasted pork and instead of lettuce, they have adopted parsley and carrot.

The roasted pork tasted a bit similar to our Char Siew and indeed a good choice as high tea snack or light supper. Overall, the eatery has left us a good impression and I think I will re-visit for other good foods.